| The Things That We Are Made Of | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 6, 2016 | |||
| Genre | [1] | |||
| Length | 48:49(standard edition) 57:52 (with bonus tracks) | |||
| Label | Lambent Light Records | |||
| Producer | Dave Cobb | |||
| Mary Chapin Carpenter chronology | ||||
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The Things That We Are Made Of is the 14th studio album by American singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter, released by Lambent Light Records on May 6, 2016. The album was produced by Dave Cobb.
Carpenter recorded The Things That We Are Made Of at Dave Cobb's Low Country Sound studio in Nashville, Tennessee; production was helmed by Cobb. She began writing the material for the album about four years prior, and described the writing process as similar to those of her previous works in an interview with Diane Rehm: "[W]henever I've started a record, I haven't really had, like, a topic or an agenda or anything to sort of stitch the songs together. They just kind of come out. And when I finished the writing for [The Things That We Are Made Of], I was able to sort of see it as one thing and it really was this sort of document of where I am in my life, what this age that I'm at is bringing to me, [and] what I have lost along the way." [2] In another interview with HuffPost , Carpenter said that the album's songs "poses questions at every verse", further adding that "What I was trying to articulate is that duality, two sides of ourselves that want to be unanswerable but also want that deep connection and safety. How to reconcile those two things? The song "Something Tamed Something Wild" poses that question and those conversations run through the record." [3]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Pitchfork | 6.8/10 [5] |
Upon release, The Things We Are Made Of received mixed reviews from music critics. Benjamin Naddaff-Hafrey of NPR called the album "surprising", however he praised Dave Cobb's production for "stripping Carpenter's arrangements back" in contrast to her previous album Songs from the Movie (2014). He also wrote: "In the process, she makes you believe that the lucky end of the stories we tell ourselves is the ability to look through memories and find real acceptance — the things we're made of and the strength to set off again." [6]
All tracks are written by Mary Chapin Carpenter
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Something Tamed Something Wild" | 3:46 |
| 2. | "The Middle Ages" | 3:48 |
| 3. | "What Does It Mean to Travel" | 3:09 |
| 4. | "Livingston" | 5:13 |
| 5. | "Map of My Heart" | 2:57 |
| 6. | "Oh Rosetta" | 4:39 |
| 7. | "Deep Deep Down Heart" | 4:34 |
| 8. | "Hand on My Back" | 5:14 |
| 9. | "The Blue Distance" | 5:04 |
| 10. | "Note on a Windshield" | 4:49 |
| 11. | "The Things That We Are Made Of" | 5:30 |
| Total length: | 48:49 | |
Spotify, iTunes and Apple Music bonus tracks [7]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Between the Wars (Charleston 1937)" | 4:03 |
| 13. | "88 Constellations" | 5:00 |
| Total length: | 57:52 | |
Credits for The Things That We Are Made Of adapted from AllMusic. [8]
Musicians
Technical
Design
| Chart (2016) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums (OCC) [9] | 47 |
| UK Americana Albums (OCC) [10] | 3 |
| US Billboard 200 [11] | 103 |
| US Top Country Albums (Billboard) [12] | 8 |
| US Folk Albums (Billboard) [13] | 3 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard) [14] | 4 |
| US Top Album Sales (Billboard) [15] | 42 |
Mary Chapin Carpenter is an American country and folk music singer-songwriter. Carpenter spent several years singing in Washington, D.C.-area clubs before signing in the late 1980s with Columbia Records. Carpenter's first album, 1987's Hometown Girl, did not produce any charting singles. She broke through with 1989's State of the Heart and 1990's Shooting Straight in the Dark.
Eamon McLoughlin is a musician based in Nashville, Tennessee. Primarily a fiddle player, he has toured and recorded with artists in the country music, bluegrass, and Americana fields. He holds the position of Staff Fiddle player at The Grand Ole Opry, working with a diverse range of artists including Vince Gill, Nina Simone, Carly Pearce, Oak Ridge Boys and many more. Eamon performs in the (separate) touring bands of Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell. He also sings, plays mandolin, guitar, cello and viola, and can be seen performing regularly with The 50 Shades of Hay. He has received two Grammy nominations for Country Instrumental Performance as a founding member of the American bluegrass band The Greencards.
Come On Come On is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter, released by Columbia Records on June 30, 1992. It rose to No. 11 on the Billboard's Country Albums chart and No. 31 on the Billboard 200, with seven of its tracks reaching the Hot Country Songs chart: "I Feel Lucky", "Not Too Much to Ask", "Passionate Kisses", "The Hard Way", "The Bug", "He Thinks He'll Keep Her", and "I Take My Chances". "Passionate Kisses" also reached No. 57 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Shooting Straight in the Dark is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter, released by Columbia Records on October 9, 1990. It rose to No. 11 on the Billboard's Country Albums chart, with four of its tracks reaching the Hot Country Songs chart: "You Win Again", "Right Now", "Down at the Twist and Shout", and "Going Out Tonight".
Stones in the Road is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter, released by Columbia Records on October 4, 1994. It became Carpenter's first album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart, and first album to reach the top 10 on the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 10. It also contains her first No. 1 Hot Country Singles hit, "Shut Up and Kiss Me", which also reached No. 90 on the Billboard Hot 100. Other charting singles were "Tender When I Want to Be", "House of Cards", and "Why Walk When You Can Fly?" at.
A Place in the World is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter, released by Columbia Records on October 22, 1996. It rose to No. 3 on the Billboard's Country Albums chart and No. 20 on the Billboard 200, with four of its tracks reaching the Hot Country Songs chart: "Let Me into Your Heart", "I Want to Be Your Girlfriend", and "Keeping the Faith".
Between Here and Gone is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter, released by Columbia Nashville on April 27, 2004. It reached No. 5 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart, although the album itself produced no chart singles. The title track was written by Carpenter upon hearing of the death of singer-songwriter Dave Carter.
Michael Jason Isbell is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his solo career, his work with the band The 400 Unit, and as a member of Drive-By Truckers for six years, from 2001 to 2007. Isbell has won four Grammy Awards.
The discography of American singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter consists of 16 studio albums, four compilation albums, three video albums, 41 singles, 15 music videos, and 88 album appearances. After recording a demo tape, she was signed to Columbia Records in 1987 and released her debut studio album Hometown Girl (1987). In June 1989, Carpenter's second studio album State of the Heart was issued, which transitioned more towards country music. Among its four singles, both "Never Had It So Good" and "Quittin' Time" became top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks chart.
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The Calling is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter, released by Zoë Records on March 6, 2007. Carpenter had previously been on Columbia Nashville, this being her first release after leaving Columbia and first studio album since 2004's Between Here and Gone. Like her previous album, she wrote every track on the album, and it rose to No. 10 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
The Age of Miracles is the 11th studio album by American singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter, released on April 27, 2010 by Zoë Records, her third album released under the Zoë label.
Come Darkness, Come Light: Twelve Songs of Christmas is the 10th studio album and first Christmas album by American singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter. It was released on September 30, 2008 by Zoë Records, her second release under this label, and was produced by Carpenter and John Jennings.
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Mary Chapin Carpenter exudes hard-won calm and wisdom on her 14th album, a set of gorgeous Americana tracks that serve as a memoir.